The First Time
by Mooser
Summary: There's always that first time when everything just clicks and you end up where you should have been all along. This is their moment. NaruSaku. Short story.


This is my 2nd story on here, and I'm loving it much more than my first. I'm thinking of possibly doing an epilogue type thing for this later, maybe? Not sure yet. But reviews are always helpful! Enjoy! :D

Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. I own nothing!

* * *

She stared at him blankly in confusion. Surely she had not heard him correctly, and she just had to be misreading the serious and hopeful look on his face. Sakura didn't know how to respond to such an unexpected proposal. She looked around the small, secluded restaurant and was thankful that it was late enough for people to be at home and getting ready for bed. She was left speechless. She looked back into his bright cerulean, determined eyes and was captured instantly; just like the first time.

* * *

_It was a simple mission in Sound about five years ago; Spy on an old informant that used to provide vital information to Akatsuki, then return to Konoha and report back to the Hokage. Everything had gone smoothly until a random civilian recognized Sasuke, who had returned willingly a year prior, and ruined the whole 'Hide in plain sight' plan. _

_ Although the guards that the civilian rushed to were not high ranked shinobi by any means, they still knew how to cause a ruckus, which attracted some high ranked shinobi that caused a bit of a problem. Not wanting to cause harm to the surrounding village and its occupants, Team 7 had no choice but to play defense and retreat into the tree tops. Unfortunately, that did not keep them from getting hit by a particularly harsh, signature Sound jutsu that knocked Sakura to her knees._

_ She faintly remembered the rapid pulsing in her head and the ruthless ringing in her ears. She hardly remembered getting up and trying to run, only to find her disoriented self free falling at a fast rate to a hard, unforgiving ground. She doesn't remember how they got out of that mess. Nevertheless, she did remember barely hearing her name being called out. She could even recall the pair of strong arms that grasped her body and the strong, masculine scent that blasted her senses. She was delighted that she could remember being held tightly to a lean, muscled torso while her face instinctively nuzzled into the crook of her rescuer's neck. _

_ However, no amount of training could have ever prepared her for their landing. It wasn't the crash landing, forcing her teammate to roll painfully on his back to keep her unharmed that shocked her. Nor was it the shooting pain that surged through her nervous system from the blast of the jutsu. It was what she saw once she opened her eyes._

_ Staring down at her, was a breath-taking pair of deep blue eyes that held numerous emotions from fear and anger to love and concern. Staring down at her was a man who was smiling madly simply because he was overjoyed that she was okay. Staring down at her was a man –who she had seen as a boy before—that would happily, willingly, and physically harm himself just to see her alive and well. Staring down at her was Naruto, ready and willing to give himself up for her sake. And right then, she knew she had been blind to not see him in this light before._

_ Right then, she knew she was staring up at a man that most women could only dream of having. And he was in her reach…_

* * *

"…Sakura-chan?" Naruto paused for a second, quickly becoming unsure of himself. "Uh...heh….Sakura-chan, people are starting to stare. I kinda need an answer…"

A smile graced her features immediately. Considering his title that he now held, she still couldn't believe that he could act as shy as he was now in front of people. But looking into those eyes that initially caught her heart, she couldn't dream of making him suffer any longer.

"Hokage-sama, since when have I ever refused one of your requests?"

Naruto took a second to reign himself in. If this was going where he thought it was going, life was going to be ten times better than he could ever remember. "Never."

Sakura nodded and her smile grew all the wider. "Never."

"So, is that a yes?"

She couldn't hold it in. The absolute joy that shined in his eyes brought tears of pure happiness to hers. She laughed as she spoke "Yes, you idiot! That's a yes!" Not waiting for _her_ Hokage to put the ring on her slim finger, she jumped into his unprepared arms, sending them both to the floor with her lying on top of his chest.

Not bothering to make any move towards getting up, he wrapped his powerful arms around her waist and pulled her to him even more. He lifted his head so his mouth rested against the shell of her ear. "I love you Sakura-chan."

"I love you too Naruto."


End file.
